Shadows and Hearts
by Ripplerose
Summary: Tsubasa Ando is a new student in the Special Abilities Class of Alice Academy. But there are many mysteries hidden behind the wall. And what is the most popular girl in S.A class doing behind closed doors?
1. Chapter 1:Attacks and Amnesia

**Shadows and Hearts**

**(3****rd**** Person P.O.V)**

"Everyone please welcome Tsubasa Ando." Nodacchi gave a squinty-eyed smile. The special abilities class gave a loud smattering of applause. The teen that stood in the doorway had a strange air about him. They couldn't see him because he was in shadow. Walking forward, he stepped into the sunlight that spilled through the large French windows.

"Hey." Tsubasa was tall with spiky black hair covered by a black cap with a white star on it. His star rankings were inside his collar making it impossible for anyone to see how he had ranked in the Alice testing. He had an irresistibly white smile and an easy-going aura seemed to radiate from him. Even his clothes seemed more relaxed than the other students. His black tie was loose and the pressed white dress shirt looked worn, almost like he'd always worn it. The girls in the Special Abilities class were dazzled. The boys were wary but couldn't help staring curiously at him.

**(Tsubasa's P.O.V)**

I was amazed. I mean sure, having a school for people who can do things very few others can, is pretty astounding itself. But the reception I got from these people was the most astonishing thing I'd seen that day. And I'd met Narumi-sensei the cross-dresser already. (What a weird guy) All around the large open classroom were balloons. A massive white banner hung from the doorway with welcoming sayings on it, written in many different shades and colors. The kids in the class room all seemed to be about my age (middle school). The teacher who taught the Special Abilities was named Nodacchi-sensei. He had a kind face and he seemed to always be smiling. He wore a simple blue shirt and jeans. But he also had the kind of personality that made it seem like he never really knew exactly where he was. As I was glancing around the room, Noda-sensei asked to the room at large:

"Say, does anyone know where Misaki Harada is?" A girl with cropped pink hair raised her hand. Nodacchi nodded for her to speak.

"I'm not sure. She wasn't in any classes yesterday and no one's seen her." At this, Noda-sensei looked slightly worried. _Hmmm. This Misaki girl seems to be important._ I thought.

Composing himself, Nodacchi sighed. "What a pity. After she went to such extremes to make you welcome here Ando." _Huh? _

"Who's Misaki?" I asked curiously.

"She's the one who put this all together." Noda-sensei replied gesturing to the party spread out in front of us. "Quite a headstrong girl, that one. Mind you, she was very happy to hear we'd have a new student. After all, compared to the Technical Ability, or Pre-Dispositional Ability classes, we have different types of talents in here."

A girl with long grey hair seemed like she could not contain her excitement any longer. "So what's your Alice?" She practically screamed at me, cuing her girlfriends to cluster around me and ask the same question over and over.

"Hey, Mini-chan chill already." One of the guys muttered pushing through the group of girls. A loud gong resounded throughout the school. "That's the gong. Tell us later." He told me. With that, the class split and left the room for lunch.

Shaking my head, I decided to explore a little. There was a thick wooded area in 3 sections of the campus. I was trotting through the woods when I spotted a gathering of teens my age or a little older. They had surrounded something. Getting closer, I could hear voices.

"Leave me alone you morons!" The voice was weak but firm. It was a girl's voice.

"Now why ever would we do that? Persona's looking for you." One of the boys stated calmly.

"Persona can go to hell." The girl's voice replied. Suddenly all around the boys were girls. They had long, spiky, auburn hair, short blue skirts, and pale skin. They all also had black boots and academy issued white shirt and tie. _Odd, _I thought_ they have boy's shirts…._

"Ah! She's got her strength back!" One of the teens yelled. His voice was high and screechy. His hair was short and grey. I decided I'd see how this one played out.

"She's just a girl! Just grab all of them!" The tall blonde one yelled. I got the feeling that he was the leader. The boys spread out following the girls. Then, she gave a chilling sneer.

"Bring it." With those 2 words, the copies all charged the nearest guys, and proceeded to beat them up. The blonde guy was sent flying into a tree, the grey haired guy got a rabbit punch in the face, and a kick to the groin, sending him sprawling. 4 more guys were trying to battle the onslaught of clones, when all of a sudden, behind one of the girls, a tall man dressed in an all-black cloak and boots with matching pants appeared. He wore a thin white mask over his face. He grabbed the girl's wrist and clamped something on it. The girl collapsed, all the copies disappearing with a popping noise. The girl lay motionless on the ground.

"Persona!" The boys got up from they're places on the ground. They bowed respectfully to the dark figure.

"All I asked was for you to subdue and return her to me. You have done neither. Your punishment will come later. Bring her to HQ." With that he vanished again, as if he and his slippery voice had never been in the clearing. The grey haired boy leaned over the crumpled figure of the girl and then pulled back his foot. _Time to intervene I think. _I thought to myself. Stepping on their shadows, I gave a swipe of my foot, and they all went flying. Taking a stick, on their shadows, I wrote:

Pink Fluffy Stars: 5 hours.

They would be busy with that exercise for quite a while. Walking quickly over to the girl, I felt for a pulse. Brushing the hair away from her face, I tried to figure out if she had a concussion. Pulling her against me, so she was leaning against my chest, I felt her arms and legs for dislocations and or breaks. She let out a faint moan of pain.

"Easy, it's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you." Her eyes suddenly opened. They were a startling shade of brown, like caramel and fall leaves. Those eyes seemed to stare into my very soul. Lifting her gently into my arms, I stood up. Trying to imagine the campus map in my head, I stepped onto a shadow. A few minutes later, we were in front of the infirmary. I could feel the beat of her heart against my chest and I could hear it weaken. She was getting to weak. _Who IS this girl? _ I asked myself as I ran up the steps and through the sliding glass doors.

"What happened to her?" A nurse asked as her colleagues laid the girl onto a stretcher and rushed off.

_Hmmm. I don't know if that girl was up to no good or not. It just seemed like she was defending herself. Even so…_

"I'm not sure. I just saw her on the ground in the West Woods. Will she be ok?" I questioned. I had decided that if the girl wanted everyone to know the truth, she'll be the one to tell them not me.

"We won't know until we run tests. Do you know her name?"

"No."

"Okay then." The nurse said. "I'll notify the teachers and see if they can take a headcount or recognize her."

Nodding, I walked out the door, and trotted toward my room. What an interesting start to a new school year.


	2. Chapter 2:Hello Again

**Chapter 2: Hello Again**

**(Mystery girl's P.O.V)**

The first thing I felt was a sharp stinging in my chest. My ribs…they hurt. They hurt so badly. I wrenched my eyes open, hoping I had finally found the world that was real. I had been drifting through dreams for a long time. At least I think it was a long time. I'm not really sure. All the dreams were foggy, clouded. The emotions that came with them were more familiar. Cold, pain, heartbreak. But the most vivid feeling I felt after each of those dreams was fear. It was always with me. Even when I was awake.

I glanced around me. _I'm alive then…excellent. Love it when I do that…_

I was in a hospital. I think. And as tried to move my fingers they brushed against soft blankets. A squishy pillow was underneath my head. And I was sore all over.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" The voice was exceptionally loud to me. I winced and turned in the direction of the voice.

"I'm fine." I tried to sit up.

"No you're not. So lay back DOWN." The nurse who stood beside my bed said. Too tired to argue, I laid back down. I could feel a bandage wrapped around my pounding head. I felt as if every part of me was bruised or broken.

Sighing, I decided to get the verdict. "How bad am I?"

"You'll survive." _Gee thanks. Very specific. _Even closing my eyes brought on a shock of hurt. What did they do to me?

"We have discovered some of the reasons you are in pain. Not all of them are easy to find, but you'll be here a while anyway, so we'll use that time to our advantage." The nurse was short and her cropped white hair looked so strange on the head of a 30 year-old woman. Feeling my gaze on her, the nurse turned back to me looking away from the strange machines I was practically plugged into. "You have 2 broken ribs, 3 broken fingers, a sprained wrist, a twisted ankle, a concussion, and bruises from head to toe."

Wow. No wonder I felt so horrible. But I was still confused on a few things. The last thing I remembered was someone telling me that they wouldn't hurt me, and I the last thing I'd seen was a pair of dark eyes. How had I gotten here?

"How did I get here?" I asked curiously.

"Another student found you. He said that he had found you in the Western Wood. He was quite worried about you actually."

_Eric…Damn. _ Wincing slightly, I asked if I'd had any visitors.

"No. Just the lad who brought you in. He only came once but he seemed quite nice. Are you close?"

"What's his name?"

"Oh sorry dear." The nurse said looking flustered. "I thought that you'd remember who he was. I didn't get a name before he left."

"Well what did he look like?" I felt suspicion seeping into my mind. _If it wasn't Eric then who was it?_

"He had black hair and dark eyes. He was tall. I think he was about your age dear. Sweet boy, he told me to tell you he hopes you feel better soon."

_Hmmm. Doesn't sound like Eric. Then who could he be? _

**(Tsubasa's P.O.V)**

"Hey did you hear that there was girl in the hospital here? The nurse doesn't recognize her, and the teachers won't tell anything to us." I heard Kinu saying as I walked through the door. Here I was in my Special Abilities class again. It had been almost a week since I had found the girl in the woods. And I still didn't even know her name. I had been to visit yesterday. The nurse had told me that she had finally woken up. But she was in a lot of pain, and got tired very easily. Every time I got there, she was already asleep. That poor girl. She was hurt everywhere and there was only so much pain medication they could give her.

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts of her. Thinking about her would only drive me crazy. The only other major story among the school was the disappearance of this Misaki Harada. She was STILL missing. She had been gone the day I had arrived in the Special Abilities Class the first time. I was beginning to wonder if maybe she'd outgrown her Alice and they'd sent her home. I hadn't met her yet and was starting to think I never would. Staring around the room, I realized Eric was here already. He was staring out the window with a tortured expression on his face. Apparently he and Misaki were close. I didn't want to think how it must feel to have your best friend go missing, and not be able to do anything about it.

Suddenly I heard a loud scream. It was not one of fear, but one of pure happiness and excitement. The group of girls in the back suddenly rushed out the class with so much speed I don't think even a cheetah would have been able to outpace them. Sticking our heads out into the hallway, we boys peeked cautiously at the gaggle of girls in the hall. They had surrounded someone and were talking loudly over each other.

"I was so worried-"

"You could've at least called us you know!"

"Where were you?"

"Are you alright?"

These voices got louder and louder as if they were trying to drown each other out. Exchanging looks of confusion, me and the guys sidled up to the group.

"Hey, what's going on?" One of the boys asked. A girl suddenly stepped out of the cloud of people. As she walked towards me, I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out of my head. Her hair which had been auburn when I had last seen it had a tinge of brownish purple. Her slim figure, clad in the school uniform, seemed to be thin but wiry and the only thing that made it seem like she hadn't just been on a day trip was the fact she had a special wrap on her wrist. She now stood in front of me, her eyes shining. She didn't remember that I already knew her. She didn't know that I had known her a week now. She didn't know I was the one who saved her. She smiled a brilliantly white smile and held out her thin hand to me.

"I'm Misaki Harada. Welcome to Alice Academy."


	3. Chapter 3:Surprise Surprise

**Chapter 3: Surprise Surprise**

**(Tsubasa's P.O.V) **

I'd like to say I was calm. I'd like to say I was unsurprised. I'd like to say I acted aloof. I'd also like to say that I have a plasma screen TV. Unfortunately, that would be a lie.

"What's your name?" Misaki asked.

"Tsubasa." I took her extended hand and shook. Her hands were so small…

"Sorry I wasn't here to welcome you when you first came." She smiled apologetically. _That smile…_ I grinned too. She had an infectious smile. It made me want to smile too.

"It's alright. I got quite a warm welcome from everyone here." I gestured to the crowd of teens that had gathered. Suddenly I heard a loud yell. We all turned towards the classroom door, from where the shout had emanated.

"WHAT?" With a quick glance around, I realized that the yell must have been Eric. Misaki sighed. I turned back to her and gave her a sly smile.

"Sounds like it's time for you to run."

**Misaki's P.O.V**

Tsubasa Ando. He seemed like a nice enough guy. As he let go of my hand (I couldn't help but notice they were really warm) there was a loud yelp.

"WHAT?" I winced slightly. I heard a quiet chuckle and turned back from the classroom door that I'd been about to walk through.

"Sounds like it's time for you to run." Tsubasa muttered under his breath, the words meant only for my ears. I snorted. The sound of pounding footsteps broke through the din of the halls and everyone seemed to tense. Eric flew through the doorway as if trying to achieve lift off. He skidded to a stop about a foot from me.

"Misaki?" His whispered. His short spiky blond hair looked like he hadn't combed it in days, and his clothes were creased and dirty in places. I gave him the once over, and then tackled him. I'd missed him so much.

"Oof. Misaki be careful!" He gasped as I banged into him. But he hugged me back, holding me close. "Where have you been?" he breathed whispering in my ear.

"Tell you later." I pulled back from his embrace to look him over once more. I pulled a spiky bleach-blond lock and stared into his blue eyes. "Eric, don't be offended, but you seriously need to comb your hair!" We were both soon laughing hysterically. All around us, our friends and classmates were staring at us.

"Alright guys, nothing to see here, c'mon. We still have to get ready for the class cultural project don't we?" Tsubasa seemed to be the only one unaffected. He straightened his black cap and led everyone reluctantly back into the classroom. I'd have to thank him later.

"So where the hell were you?" Eric practically shouted.

I cringed slightly. "I honestly can't remember."

"You were missing an entire week, the teachers didn't know where you were, we couldn't track you, and you don't REMEMBER?" I thought he was going to blow a gasket.

"Eric, calm down. Breath, relax. The nurse said that it could be amnesia due to fatigue, dehydration, and lack of food."

"You were gone a week Misaki." Eric's voice was hurt, sad.

"You think I WANTED to be gone so long? I don't remember why I was missing but I remember how I felt about it. I wanted nothing more than to be in class and happy with you and everyone!"

He sighed. "Alright. I guess it's time we went back to class huh?" I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the class room with a grin. Noda-sensei was very nice and welcomed me back as if I had been gone for a year not a week. I was home.

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

As I walked down the hall from my class to the lunch room, I heard a yell.

"Yo Ando! Wait up!" The voice was loud but full of laughter. It could only be Misaki. I grinned slightly and stopped to wait for the girl I'd saved to catch up to me. She stopped right in front of me, looking the picture of health. If I hadn't talked to the nurse the day before, I would have thought her perfectly recovered. But Misaki was still in much pain. She refused the medicines though, saying that she was fine. I sighed shaking my head. _Does she WANT to make herself suffer more?_

"What's up?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"You wanna sit with me, Alexia, and Kana?" She asked. A tiny small tugged at the corner of my mouth. I had been about to sit with Andre and Tonio. But the idea that I'd maybe be able to hear why Misaki had been attacked was too irresistible.

"Sure. Can Tonio and Andre sit too?" They would never forgive me if I went to sit with a bunch of hot girls and didn't bring them with.

"Sure." Misaki grinned again. I just wasn't getting used to that smile… "See you in the garden." And then she raced off to find her friends. I had never seen anyone with so much energy before. It was utterly bewildering. I wondered around for a little bit, looking for Tonio.

_Ah, I'm lost again. Oh well, I'll find my way at some point. _As I jumped up the stairs, I resolved to one day make a map of this place for any new comers to the school. And judging by how easy it was for ME to get lost, that map was going to take a while to make.


	4. Chapter 4:No happy endings

**Chapter 4: No happy endings**

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

The lunch room was not really a room, so much as a garden. There were glass tables and chairs arranged around a marble fountain. The fountain was designed as a sculpture of "normality" in a sense. Unlike the other statues, fountains, paintings, or shrubbery, this was not designed to show off an Alice. It was a designed like a castle. Which, regular people may not associate with normal but that's what we did. The intricate detail took my breath away, and I had been sitting by that fountain eating lunch every day for a week. Shaking my head at the weirdness of it all, I turned back to the conversation that was taking place at our table.

On either side of me, were Andre and Tonio. Tonio was a tall silent guy with short cropped hair, dark eyes, and a serious expression. He doesn't talk much. Andre was medium height with strange white-blond hair. It had streaks of black in it, left from the dye I'd "accidentally" spilled on him when we had a bet. His blue eyes were shining as he looked at Kana appreciatively.

Misaki was sitting across from me, flanked on either side by Kana and Alexia. To an outsider we probably looked like generals of opposing sides discussing peace talks. But we weren't discussing peace, but our pasts. It's not a topic many kids here at Alice Academy like to talk about. I can't really blame them, I mean if you'd been abducted from your home and family and told that you couldn't see them again until you graduated how would you react? I hadn't been abducted. But I wasn't big on talking about my own past either. Kana, a short red haired girl with large brown eyes was talking about her family.

"My little sister's birthday was yesterday." She said quietly. Misaki squeezed her hand, sympathy pouring from her eyes. "She's only 8 years old!" Kana wiped her eyes quickly, embarrassed. "She was so young when I came here."

Trying to keep her on happier tones, I decided to try to make her remember fond memories. "What's your sister's name?" I asked.

"Clara. My mom's American." That figured. Clara wasn't exactly a common name for a child. "How about you Andre?" She asked my friend who seemed completely lost in her eyes. Sighing, I snapped my fingers in front of his sharply angled face.

"Yo, Andre! Hello? Anyone home?"

Misaki snorted when my friend suddenly jumped in the air as if he'd been electrocuted.

"What on earth was that?" Andre whirled on Tonio. "Was that you man?" Tonio remained impassive. His Alice was illusions. He could make Andre think he'd just stuck his hand into a vat of live snakes if he felt like it. I had only been on the receiving end for one of his attacks once (for training purposes) and I am not eager to repeat the experience.

"Andre, what is your family like? Where'd you come from?" Kana asked again patiently.

"Oh. I came from Tokyo. The big city itself." Andre gave a self-satisfied grin. He had an accent that could only come from years of living on the streets. "I lived in a nice penthouse apartment with my parents, no siblings. Then one day, I was swinging on my swing in the park when I flew off and couldn't stop flying. Eventually I gained control over it, but I realized I wasn't flying, so much as levitating. And the next thing we knew, I was making anything and everything float. Not much of a big deal really, but my parents totally freaked. I couldn't understand why, I mean it's not like I was hurting anyone right? But my parents didn't think the same way." Andre gave a bitter smile that was scary in a way.

"So what happened?" Kana asked her eyes as large as saucers.

"They kicked me out. One day I came home from school, they hand me a backpack and 100 American dollars, and tell me to get out and never come back. I didn't have a choice. They locked all the doors, and windows, and they never looked back. I sat on the back porch for 5 hours waiting for them to let me back in, saying it was just a joke, they wouldn't ever leave me. But they didn't." Andre's bitter smile was gone, now his eyes which had just been sparkling were cold as ice. "I lived on the street for a couple years, fending for myself, working a part time job at a local grocery store. Eventually the fact that I was a street kid who had money but lived in the alleys seemed to get around. A group of guys named "The Cougars" caught up to me. They were the top gang in the city, still are for all I know. They tried to mug me, and I fought back. There were more of them than me and so I figured scaring them a little would help me. So I levitated one of them. Only that backfired a little because they attacked me. Some men in black suits stopped them, but I got the feeling they weren't your ordinary cops. All the same, I tried to be polite, and thank them for their help. One of them said to come with them, I said no. One of them shot me with something from behind and when I woke up I was here. They told me "no you can't go back. Sorry. Not ever again."". Andre gave another sardonic grin.

"It's not like I was totally sad. I didn't really have anything to miss. I mean yeah, I missed my job, and my boss was ok. But I'd pretty much kept to myself while I was on the streets, so there was no one to come looking for me. Or to worry about me. So in a way, I'm glad I'm here."

"And how about you Tonio?" Alexia, a tall semi-quiet brunette asked of my silent companion. He just shook his head. I gave an apologetic smile.

"Tonio doesn't talk about that. He doesn't talk much at all really." I gave him a cheeky smile and a wink.

"Then how about you Tsubasa?" Misaki spoke quietly. "What's your story?"

I cringed internally. There weren't a lot of good points in my story. Then again, there were very few good points in ANY of our stories. If it was all good, we wouldn't be at the academy now would we?

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Misaki said with an understanding smile. I returned her grin weakly.

"Nah, I'll tell you. It's not a huge deal." I sat back in my chair, propping my arms over my head.

"My family lived just over those mountains there." I pointed towards the east. "We weren't rich, but we weren't poor. Dad was a shoemaker and Mom was a chef. Not a huge house but big enough."

"Any siblings?" Asked Alexia.

"3." I smiled feeling nostalgic. "Rin, Aria, and Luchia." _Ah…my sisters…_ I missed them. I missed them A LOT.

**Misaki's P.O.V**

"What are they like?" His cheerfulness instantly vanished.

"Were."

"Sorry?" I asked, not comprehending.

"What **were **they like? Is what you mean."

"Oh." The table was now sober at his sorrowful tone. "What happened?" I asked gently. I didn't want to hurt him, but I was curious.

"Well, I'm not totally sure on all the details. But since I have a slightly, shall we say, _Uncommon_, Alice, I wasn't always the most popular of kids. Well to be truthful, I was downright hated most of the time."

"Why? What's your Alice?" Since I'd missed a week of class with this guy, I was the only one who didn't know.

"I'm a shadow manipulator. I can also shadow travel, although that sometimes takes some energy out of me if I travel with someone else."

"Ah. Sorry, please continue?"

Nodding he continued. "Well since I was rather unpopular that affected my sisters. They were sort of ah, cast out. They had a few friends but that's all. It didn't matter to them though. They were fine with the limited social experience. But one day a boy who used to tease them a lot at school named Michal decided to play a prank on them. Luchia was always really afraid of fire, since we'd had a fire once in our house and almost lost everything. Michal knew she was scared of it. So when Mom and Dad were visiting a neighbor, he took a match and set fire to Luchia's doll. The only problem was this was in our backyard. My sisters and I were in the house cleaning and doing chores. So we didn't notice until there was practically a bonfire in our yard. I told the girls to go out front and wait. I was grabbing necessities in case we couldn't get help in time. Luchia and Aria went out front but Rin didn't. She went to try to get a locket that grandma had given her. By then the house was on fire too. I was desperate looking for Rin and I heard her upstairs. "

"Did she get the locket?" Alexia asked.

"She got it. But she was trapped. I'd been told never to use my powers if I could help it, just because it'd attract attention otherwise. But hey, my sister needed me. So I managed to shadow travel with her to the yard. The fire was put out and though our house was charred it was still repairable. But that night, my sisters were taken away."

"By who?" I queried, puzzled.

"We still don't know. And if my parents know they certainly aren't telling me. The morning we discovered they were gone was the morning the academy officials arrived. My parents were already angry and desperate. They'd already lost 3 kids, who would blame them?" Tsubasa traced invisible patterns on the glass table with his finger quietly for a moment. Then spoke. "My parents tried to fight the officials, telling me to run to the safe place. (The place they'd set up in case our debt ever got out of hand or child welfare came.) I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to leave my parents alone so I ran until I was sure I had no one following, and then circled back to watch the officials by hiding in an old tree. The officials eventually got fed up. One man who had the electric Alice grabbed my dad and yelled out to me, well to the woods because he couldn't actually see me."

"What did he say?" Kana leaned forward eagerly. Andre just eyed Tsubasa warily. Obviously this story was one he had either never heard, or hated to hear. To be honest, I couldn't blame him one bit. I wanted Tsubasa to stop talking but at the same time I thought my heart would just burst with suspense if he did.

"He said: "Come on kid we don't want any trouble. We're not gonna hurt you. We're just gonna take you somewhere that you can use your talents to the fullest." When I didn't come out, he put his hand on dad's shoulder and said "Kid, I have the electric alice. If you don't come out in the next 2 minutes your dad will receive 100 volts of electricity up his spine."

"No!" Alexia and Kana gasped holding onto each other. Tsubasa gave a bitter grin. It didn't suit him.

"Yes. My dad tried to tell me to go, run, run as fast I can towards help. But I didn't want my dad to die. So I came out. I wasn't even given time to say good bye to my parents. The academy officials put a special cuff on me, and then I passed out, and when I woke up I was in the academy. Welcome to school. No turning back."

"Oh. What a horrible story. No wonder you don't like to talk about it. No happy ending." Kana said.

"Kana, none of us had happy endings remember?" I said. "If we did, we wouldn't be here." Tsubasa nodded at me, his grin returning.

"You got a point there Misaki Harada." I smiled in return. The end of lunch bell rang, and we all headed towards our next classes. I had just learned a lot about Ando Tsubasa. And to be honest, I couldn't understand how he could keep smiling so care freely after all that had happened. But, I guess I'll never understand guys.

Authors Note: Hey everybody! I know I haven't updated this story in a LONG time. Gomen! *bows Tohru Honda style* I had massive writers block and this hard to cure aliment called laziness. But now I'm trying to update all my stories which I think I have now, and I'll try to update more regularly at least until school starts. Thanks so much for reading, and enduring my horrid laziness. Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks so much!

~Ri


	5. Chapter 5:Behind the scenes

Author's Note: _I mourn for those who have lost loved ones in September 11__th__. My heart is with you all. I 'm so sorry! I haven't updated this story in a while I think. And I have a feeling some of you are losing patience. SORRY. This chapter's a tad short (gomen) but I had only a few ideas for the moment, so if anyone feels like being an inspiration, I'd love to hear your ideas! Thanks so much!_

_~Ri_

**Chapter 5: Behind the Scenes**

**Misaki's P.O.V**

Standing in a clearing in the woods, a dark and secluded section, near the place I was rescued, I stared at the stars. They were so bright…As if I merely had to hold out a hand and I could touch them. They were just like my dreams. I laughed bitterly. _So close and yet so far…_

"So you came back." The cold slippery voice sent shivers down my spine, and I had to force myself to keep calm. I could handle this. I just had to believe I could.

"It's not like you weren't stalking me. Sooner or later you would have talked to me whether I wanted you to or not. I figured if this little chat _has_ to happen, might as well start it when I want to, not when you choose."

"You seem to have made a new friend today." I finally turned around to face the man of shadows; Persona.

His shining skin was covered almost completely with a white masquerade mask. And his cloak and pants were black as the shadows he stood in. His long pale fingers were covered in alice control objects. And to be honest, that wasn't the most frightening thing about him. He was ruthless. And though he was standing, leaning against a tree, his calm demeanor was just a façade, a ruse. He really wanted to beat me black and blue. I could see it, reading the forced relaxation of his arms. He was not in a good mood.

"So what if there's a new student?" I felt nervous when he mentioned any of my friends.

"Tsubasa Ando I believe his name is. A shadow tamer." The words were spit out, as if distasteful.

"Oh what's this?" I gave a mocking grin. "Wish you had him instead of silly little me?"

Chuckling slightly, he crept over so he was standing a few feet away from me. He probably would have been handsome if only he was kind. The aura he gave off was too cruel, to dangerous. No one in they're right minds would ever try to get near him. And if they tried, they'd probably end up dead just like anyone who Persona found annoying. His alice had a long history of devastation. It's not like it's his fault he has a death-touch Alice, but I mean COME ON. The dude needs to realize there's more to the world than doing the bidding of a psycho. Not that he protests this ah, arrangement as he likes to call it.

"Ah, but we have a special use for you don't we _Misaki." _His breath on my cheek was cold and smelt of decay. I fought the impulse to gag. _Damn, dude ever heard of a breath mint? _

"Oh really?" I spoke leaning away from him and walking to stand in the center of the clearing once more. "What would that use be then? I mean all I seem to be used for right now, is a punching bag. I'm more useful in the S.A class then here. So why not let me transfer? It's not like I'm dangerous."

"You will realize your use in time. For the present however, HE requests that you stay away from the shadow tamer. He's more dangerous than you think." I just stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm sure he's a good fighter, but when I have more than 10 copies, how many of me can he fight?"

"That is none of your concern." He was getting annoyed by my questions. Sticking out my tongue like a 5 year old, I gave a slight sneer.

"Well, if that concludes this discussion would you be so good as to get the hell out of here? It was perfectly nice and peaceful before you showed up." _In more ways than one you slimy little snot-head…_

Giving a ghostly chuckle, Persona trotted silently towards the gaping forest and turned slightly back to me.

"Silly Misaki. Don't you know that peace is an illusion?" With that he turned and was gone as silently as he'd come. I sat down at the base of a tree and gazed up at the stars some more. _If I could make just one wish…_


	6. Chapter 6: Just smile

**Chapter 6: Just smile**

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

I've gotta say, these days, it takes a LOT to surprise me. But that Misaki girl seems to have a talent for it. I can't wait to be better friends with her. I really want to know her story. But, it's not one of those questions that pop up in every-day conversation here. In normal schools, kids talk about classes, crushes, pop stars, anything really. Here, our conversations are monitored and in a way, careful. The Principals try to let us live out our lives *_cough* _**imprisonment ***_cough* _here as peacefully as possible. Of course there are still the electric fences, armed guards, and high walls to keep us in. But we have fairly peaceful lives here.

There's something about Misaki that just doesn't ring true. She has the whole popular, kind, everyone loves persona but her eyes. There's something wrong about her eyes. Almost like she's…I don't know. Haunted? Something's not right and I aim to get to the bottom of it. After all, she is my friend right? And friends need to help each other out. As I was walking into my history class, I saw two people blocking the doorway, seemingly in deep conversation. Getting closer, I realized I recognized one of the kids. It was Misaki. Misaki was clearly arguing with the guy in front of her, waving her hands emphatically, nearly hitting a few students passing them. The boy had spiky brown hair and a gold earring. Looking closer I thought just _maybe_ that's an Alice control device. I know listening in is wrong, but I was curious.

"I told you no!"

"Fine, you tell _him _no then." Her face paled slightly, but her eyes were angry slits.

"I already did. He won't tell me what I'm there for. Until he tells me, I'm saying no."

"You're going to regret that you know."

"I've been regretting it since you and those other idiots used me as a punching bag!"

"Hey!" The boy now held up his hands in a gesture of defense. Her stance was stiff and though they were arguing, no one else seemed able to hear them. "That wasn't by choice okay? He told us to!"

"Did you bother to even _try_ to refuse?" Her voice dripped with anger. Obviously she wasn't going to give in. But that fit on my list of what I knew about Misaki. She hated to lose at anything. Arguments were no exceptions.

"You don't understand! You're not there as much as we are! You have more classes in this building, not in the…" He trailed off. "My point is he doesn't know you as well as us. He knows every single thing about us. From our favorite color, to the girl we like. He can use anything against us. He hasn't had a chance to gather info on you yet. At least not enough." Misaki held up a hand, her eyes glittering.

"You know just as well as I do Akio that Per-that _person_ gathers every single piece of information possible before nabbing you. He never does anything on a whim or without a reason. You may not think he knows nothing or little about me, but he knows it all. From the day I was born, to the very day I was brought here. So don't you _dare_ try justifying anything." She sighed as if the argument was wearing on her.

"Oh Misaki…why did you have to give him such a hard time? If you just gave in, everything would be easier."

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Because what he does is wrong. That fact is as plain as the sky is blue. Now please leave. I have to go to my next class." Shaking his head, the boy gave her a half-hearted shove with a faint smile.

"I am sorry you know." And with that said he walked off. As soon as he was out of sight, Misaki was in the classroom sitting on her desk, kneading her head with her hands.

"You ok?" I must have startled her because she jumped about a foot in the air.

"Oh, it's you. Don't scare me like that." Her voice was weak as if she was far away.

"Misaki, are you really okay?" She didn't answer, just sat in the exact position for a few minutes, clearly contemplating something.

"No. I'm not okay." She said simply, before the teacher came in and began to lecture. Throughout the class, I cast worried glances at the girl next to me. She seemed distracted. Her expression was a mixture of fear and annoyance. As soon as the bell rang for the end of class, I caught up to her before she reached the door.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine, you don't have to talk about it. But, you might wanna at least act slightly cheerier otherwise Alexia and Kana will bug you all through lunch. She gave a resigned sigh.

"I know. Feel free to help me out?"

"What can I do?" I queried.

"Tell them I went to the nurse, I wasn't feeling well." I gave a slight nod.

"I don't suppose you want to tell me where you really _will _be?" She gave a faint smile.

"Sorry Tsubasa. My little secret." She gave me a wink and then trotted down the halls. Letting out a deep breath, I braced myself for the onslaught of questions that was sure to follow the clear absence of Misaki.

**Misaki's P.O.V**

Tsubasa was really nice. But I couldn't risk getting to close to him. Not because Persona had warned me against my new friend, but because he seemed to be able to see right through me. I couldn't afford that. Anyone who saw my real life behind the scenes would never speak to me again, or report me. Not that the last one would be a problem. Persona was supposed to be doing this stuff because of the Principal… that maniac.

Trotting sorrowfully to the Nurse, I began to really think things through. What exactly _was _a shadow tamer? Tsubasa had given us a description of what he could do, but never showed us for himself. I knew that he could control or manipulate shadows. But I'd always wanted to see how he did it firsthand.

Suddenly, I was hit by a flashback of someone helping me when I'd escaped from Persona's first round and was fighting Akio and his friends. I'd be delirious, dehydrated, and basically hurt everywhere. But I'd still fought. But who was it that had saved me? Shaking my head, I tried to get the thought out of my head. It couldn't be…

"Misaki!" I whirled around to be greeted by Tsubasa's wide grin. I couldn't help but give a faint chuckle. His smile just made you want to giggle. A spontaneous spurt of laughter burst from my lips.

"Hey Tsubasa, what's up?"

He gave another pearly smile. "Not much." His smile faded and became serious. "You don't have to tell me about what happened earlier, it's none of my business. But I do wish you'd let me help. Friends help each other."

"Sorry Tsubasa," I gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "There's nothing you can do."

"Well," his face turned thoughtful. "Would you do me a favor then?"

"What?" I was wary. Favors were always called in at inconvenient times, although I figured that Tsubasa might just be an exception.

"Smile," He murmured. "Just smile. Be happy, if only for a little bit."

"Tsubasa, we're in a mini prison masquerading as a school, We've all been taken away from our families, lost loved ones, I've got several broken body parts, and Eric won't leave me alone when I keep telling him I don't remember anything. What is there to be happy about?"

"You're alive." He said simply, as if it was an obvious thing. "You have friends that care about you, you're healthy-" he raised a finger when I began to protest. "minus the broken limbs, you have a life. Live it the best you can. And smile Misaki. It makes everyone else happy, as well as yourself.

I couldn't help but let a wide grin pull at my mouth.

"That's it Misaki. Just smile."


	7. HEAD'S UP READERS: ONE AND ALL!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't really posted in a while, I've had like MAJOR writers block. And a trip to the hospital, a power outage and a computer crash. So I've had an interesting couple months I've FINALLY got an idea for my chapter 7 and 8 so those should be up by the end of the weekend. Thanks everyone for being SO patient, I really owe you guys, thanks for bearing with me!

love y'all so so SO much!

~Ri


	8. Chapter 7: Friend or Foe?

**Chapter 7: Friend or Foe?**

_"Better to be occasionally cheated, than perpetually suspicious."  
>-Barry C. Forbes<em>

**Misaki's P.O.V**

"Ok. Spill it." I jumped at least a foot in the air. Whirling with my hands in a defensive martial arts pose, suddenly came face to face with Tsubasa.

"What?" I queried, dropping my ready fists and forcing a smile on my face.

"Misaki, you've been as tight as a spring for the past few days. What's going on? Are you ok?"

"Yeah…I'm fine." The truth was Persona had warned us that he was planning to bring a new student in to our "class" and I was terrified that it would be one of my friends. Well, when I say one of my friends, I was mostly worried about Tonio and Tsubasa. Kana and Alexia had interesting Alices, but they weren't really meant for the "Dangerous Ability Class." Alexia could sense emotions and Kana could talk to animals (she's especially good with horses) so compared with Tonio's ability to create illusions of any kind, well…I was more worried about Tonio and Tsubasa.

"I don't believe you." Tsubasa winked at her. "But I won't bother you. You'll tell me if there's anything I can do though, right?"

I nodded grinning. Tsubasa Ando had a gift with people. He could make anyone smile. It didn't matter how sad, grumpy, or mad a person was. They could have wanted to kill someone, but Tsubasa could make them smile with no effort what so ever. It would have been scary, if he hadn't been able to do the same to me.

"Misaki!" I turned at the sound of my name. Eric had materialized next to me. It felt like he had become my shadow. I had taken to avoiding him at lunch. He was extra clingy now that I had finally returned to all my classes. He was almost everywhere! Wincing, I turned to my best friend.

"Hey, how's it going?" I forced a smile looking at a spot right above his head.

"I'm fine. How are you?" I told him I was fine. Then asked him what he'd been up to lately.

"You know how I'm a good with technology right?" That was a massive understatement. Eric could control an entire classroom with his skills if he used them on a daily basis. But I was the only one (at least to my knowledge) that knew of his talent.

"Yeah…Why?" What **has **this boy been doing lately?

"Well, I figured that I'd try to find out more about this Tsubasa kid."

**Eric's P.O.V **

Misaki's body bristled. I knew it. She's gotten protective of this boy really quickly. What's going on between them?

"Why are you prying in his business Eric?" Her dark eyes flashed dangerously. I'm walking on thin ice here apparently.

"Misaki, he just shows up here, out of the blue. No one knows where he came from, and I've never seen him use his Alice have you?"

"Eric, it's not any of our business. I know where he comes from. And I didn't hack into the school database to find out. I found out the way most normal people do. I _asked him." _She was definitely angry now. Oh boy. Time to watch my step with what I say.

"Why doesn't he show his Alice?"

"Because there isn't a whole lot of call for it at the moment is there?!" Misaki huffed then stomped off in frustration. Yipes. She's closer to this guy than I thought.

There had been something in the file that I'd hacked; something about how he had grown up…I just need to remember it…

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

I saw Misaki storming away from Eric. She had been tense all week, and would refuse to tell anyone why. I'm starting to get really worried about her.

"Yo Eric!" I swear the hairs on his _head _jumped when I called his name. But when he turned to me, his pale face was carefully blank.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Do you know what's got Misaki so tensed up? She's so frightened she literally jumped at her own shadow this morning! It's starting to get me worried. And she won't tell me what's happening." He raised his eyebrows at me. I know, it's not like it's totally my business, but I'm anxious for her ok?

"Hmmm." He seemed to be measuring me up.

"If it's a family thing, or a personal thing, I'll gladly back out, but she seems so scared. And I want her to be able to talk to _someone _about it. If you know, and she's got someone who knows what's happening on her side, then I'll leave it alone. But I don't want her to bottle it all up. It's not good for her. And if there is something I can do, I want to know."

**Eric's P.O.V**

He really cares about Misaki. He's as worried as I am. I'm not the only one who can tell that something's wrong.

"I don't know. There have been times since we got here, that she'll be uptight and uncommunicative for a while. But they are rare times, and I've rarely noticed anything to set them off. I find the easiest way to help, is just hold it in. Anything that you feel, whether its worry, pity, or even affection, if it's a fairly complicated emotion, you don't dump it on her. Just let her deal with it, and be there for her. She may not talk to you or me, but she can know that we're there for her if she needs us."

Tsubasa nodded. "Makes sense. I still hate doing nothing though. Do Alexia and Kana know what causes this?"

I smiled wryly. "You think I haven't tried that route? As far as I know, no one has any idea what reason she has for acting like this. But if she wants to tell us, she will."

With a wary nod, I turned away from him, and went in search of my best friend.

**Third Person P.O.V**

As both the boys parted and went their separate ways, they didn't see the girl just around the corner, hiding in the shadows.


	9. Chapter 8: Fights and Fairy Tales

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Lunar-Countdown who has been SO nice and patient to me. Thanks for bearing with me everyone! **

Chapter 8: Fights and Fairy Tales

_"That old saying about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everyone blind. The time is always right to do the right thing."  
>-Martin Luther King Jr.<em>

**Misaki's P.O.V **

About a month had passed since I recovered from my run in with Persona's crew. Everything had healed, and if it weren't for the bruises on my shins I probably could have convinced myself it had never happened. Unfortunately when I woke up in the morning, there was a note that had been slid under my door.

_Dearest Misaki,  
>you will complete the following or face consequences<br>-P_

Well at least he doesn't fake pleasantries. Straight to the point. The only thing I really didn't hate about him. Opening the envelope that came with the note, I read it and then snarled in rage. It was a map leading to a house near school grounds. The whole Dangerous Ability class was supposed to go with a few of the school guards to make sure that a few new students were secured properly. I was (to my dismay) an honorary member, despite my being in the Special Ability Class. There had to be more to it, otherwise Persona wouldn't send all of the kids in my class. Unfortunately, he doesn't believe in telling us everything, so I'd have to make do with what I did know.

Sighing, I folded up the note, and put it in a hollow book I kept on a shelf. Leaning against the cool window pane, I looked outside and couldn't help but get a sense of foreboding.

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

When I woke up, it was raining. It had been around a month since I'd rescued Misaki from her attackers on my first day of school. As I looked out my window, I saw dark storm clouds rolling across the dismal grey sky. Thunderstorms had gotten more and more frequent in the past few weeks. The morale at school seemed to have darkened along with the sky because there was so little chatter in the halls or in class. Smiling was rare, and it felt like all the color had been bled out of the school.

Teachers like Noda-sensei and Narumi-sensei tried their best to cheer the children up, but they can only do so much.

As I walked down the hall towards Noda-sensei's class, I noticed that everyone's tones were subdued. They were talking, but it was as if the life had been sucked out of the student body.

"Tsubasa!" Whirling at the sound of my name, I almost banged right into Kana.

"Hey Kana, what's up?"

"Something's wrong with Misaki right?" I blinked.

"Come again?"

"I know there's something going on with Misaki, but she won't tell me or Alexia what it is. And since I know that you and Misaki seemed to hang out a lot, I guess I thought maybe you would know." Kana tugged at her bangs, a habit I'd come to associate with her when she was nervous.

"Kana, I don't know any more than you do." I said calmly. Though this rankled me, I knew Misaki wasn't ready to open up to me, and I didn't want to push her yet. I wanted to believe she'd tell me when she was ready.

"Alright." My friend gave a small sigh of resignation and turned towards our classroom. "See you in class Ando."

Class was rarely boring. Noda-sensei had gone and teleported by accident again, so Misaki was in charge of the class.

"Okay everyone!" Misaki clapped her hands once. As everyone turned their attention to the front, I gave a start of surprise. Misaki was putting heaps of books on a desk. "Can anyone tell me what a fairy tale is?"

Many of the younger kids waved their hands around, while the older ones eyed Misaki wearily.

"Akita." Misaki pointed a slim finger at a quiet girl with long purple hair and large horn rimmed glasses.

"A fairy tale is a story for children, usually about elves, goblins, or dragons. There is often an obvious protagonist and antagonist." Raising an eyebrow at the encyclopedic definition, Misaki nodded.

"Akita is correct. However, instead of studying fairy tales that we all grew up with, I thought we'd try something new." Gesturing to the stack of books on the desk in front of her, she gave a wide grin. "These are all fairy tales that are common in the United States of America. Not all of their origins are American, but these are the popular tales that children read. You're assignments, are to choose a story, read it, and draw a timeline of the events in the story. There are crayons and other art supplies over in the cabinet." Nodding towards the aforementioned cabinet in the back of the classroom, she clapped her hands again. "Let's get to work!"

The under-class men squealed and raced to the front of the room where the books were. As everyone grabbed a book, I chose a title that seemed interesting, and went with it.

**Misaki's P.O.V**

The book I'd chosen was written by the Brothers Grimm. It was called "The Wise Little Girl." It seemed interesting, so I sat in my desk, let myself absorb the story.

It short, it was how a little girl saved her father's life, as well as earned him money from an Emperor by solving supposedly insolvable riddles. Personally, I thought it was rather straight forward, but it was after all, and child's fairy tale. When you read fairy tales you don't usually want to understand all the magic, just accept it. This is what causes the adorable and fleeting naiveté that many children have.

As I sketched out my 'timeline' for the mini project I had assigned, I felt a pair of eyes on me, sending tingles up my spine. Only one person could do that. Looking up, I found myself staring straight into the eyes of Tsubasa Ando.

**Tsubasa's P.O.V**

I'd noticed the way Misaki had been staring at her book as if willing it to swallow her up. All of a sudden, as if feeling my eyes on her, she turned and looked right at me, her eyes tugging me into their beautiful depths. Mentally shaking myself, I smiled once and winked at her. A small smile crept up her face and damn if I didn't feel a sense of triumph seeing that grin.

"Do you like your story Misaki?" I queried, trying to start a conversation.

"Yes, it's very interesting. Royalty seems to be a common theme in these tales." Running a hand over the elaborately drawn cover of the book, she closed her eyes, as if imagining herself back inside its pages.

"Yeah, I noticed the same." I held up my book, showing her the cover with the words "The Griffin" outlined in what looked like tree branches.

Looking around, I noticed everyone was packing up and putting their supplies away.

"You can keep your drawings in the cabinet." Misaki directed. "Don't forget to put your names on them!" She aimed her reminder at the younger children (Mayame in particular as he didn't often remember to write his name on his work).

Following her orders everyone stored away the books and supplies, then went on to class or lunch.

"Misaki." Grasping her wrist to stop her from walking past me, I watched her intensely for a second.

**Misaki's P.O.V**

"Yes?" I tried not to show how aware I was of his hand on mine.

"You'd tell me if there was something I could do…right?" He asked without preamble. I knew what he was referring to. It sometimes seemed that he had the unnerving ability to sense my thoughts.

"Of course!" I grinned a little too widely and I knew that Tsubasa realized it was forced. But before either of us could say anything, a voice interrupted us.

"Yo!" Andre practically yelled as he tackled Tsubasa. "It's lunchtime you guys!"

Laughing, Tsubasa shoved him playfully. I glanced up in search of Kana. Alexia usually met us at our usual spot, since she had to get in lunch line, but since Kana was in class with us and waited for us, she was often here. I quickly found her sitting just a few desks away still absorbed in "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". Tonio was leaning against the door frame, and nodded to me in acknowledgement. In the time that I'd known him, he had barely said more than 9 words.

Tapping Kana on the head had the desired effect of startling her into reality.

"Oh! Misaki, is it time to go?" The glazed look in her eyes faded and I felt a pang of guilt. Kana always loved to read, but had been so busy lately she hadn't gotten the chance. Watching my friend put away her stuff; I couldn't help but notice how Tonio was doing the same out of the corner of his eyes. Giving him an arched look, I hooked arms with Kana and dragged her and the boys to lunch.

As we were walking in the rain towards our usual lunch spot, I saw an older boy push a younger boy into a large puddle, causing him to drop all his books, as well as his lunch.

"Watch where you're going 4 eyes!" Upon closer inspection, I gave a sharp intake of breath. The older boy was one of the kids who had attacked me under orders from Persona. I felt my arms start to shake, and my vision started to cloud with red.

"Misaki?" I felt someone touch my arm, and I tried to shake away the growing bloodlust flowing through my veins. Ignoring my friend's protests, I started to say something to the bully, only to be beaten to the punch by Tsubasa.

"You think that picking on kids younger than you is cool?" Tsubasa's eyes narrowed sharply, and then widened as if he too had recognized my assailant.

"He needs to watch where he's going!" The boy yelled. His hair was a vivid orange and despite the chill in the air, he wore nothing but a tank top and sagging pants. He wasn't part of the school, so he wore no semblance of a uniform. Kana and Andre were helping the younger kid pick up his books.

"You shoved him." I stated.

"Did not," the boy denied his actions. "He tripped into me." Tonio snorted in derision.

"Sure he did." Alexia appeared behind the elder boy and grabbed his ear, then twisted hard. "And I'm a crocodile!" She continued sarcastically, twisting the boy's ear harder causing him to yelp in pain.

"Now apologize for your rudeness."

"Alexia! Por favor! No más!" He hissed, surprising us all with Spanish coming out of his mouth.

"Now!" She shouted, clearly aggrieved. The boy crumpled and landed on his knees as she let him go.

"I'm sorry ok?" The boy stated. The younger kid nodded in thanks to us, then dashed away before anyone could stop him. Then, all of a sudden, he turned to me.

"Hello Misaki." He gave a wide grin that spoke of horrors no one wanted to see. "How are you?"

To my astonishment, Tsubasa stepped slightly in front of me, as if defending me. Clearly, he didn't trust this boy.

"Is _HE _here?" I questioned, deciding there was no point beating around the bush.

"Yes. And he sends his regards." The smirk was back. "He says he'll see you soon."

Groaning inwardly, I forced myself to glower. "I'm sure he does. Now beat it."

The boy didn't move. Alexia folded her arms. "What are you still doing here?" She growled. "Leave!"

"Adios Misaki Harada." Sending Alexia one more fearful glance, the boy strutted off campus and into the woods.

"Well." Kana folded her arms over her chest. "That was interesting."


End file.
